The line, which includes melamine-based products and is priced $15-$49, will be available by mid-summer starting with Louisiana State University (LSU), the University of Alabama and Texas A&M University, chosen because they’re among the top schools in merchandise sales, says Johnston. The platters will carry slogans tied to the schools such as “Love Purple, Live Gold” (LSU), “Where Legends Are Made” (Alabama), and “Gig ‘Em” (Texas A&M). Meyer expects to extend the line to up to 20 schools during the next two years.

The products will open up college bookstores and sporting goods retailers to Meyer, whose lines are typically sold through mass merchants and department stores. It also will give the company access to college-age students, a consumer that has so far eluded it despite attempts with Rachel Ray and Ayesha Curry brands, says Johnston.

“This gives us a very targeted approach,” says Johnston. “And it provides us with an opportunity to move into a category that hasn’t been gone after in a big way. We think it lines up well with our licensing and is a natural fit for our business model.”

In addition, Meyer will use data already gathered to regionalize distribution of others products to take a similar approach for the College Collection, says Johnston.

The new line also will give Meyer a point of differentiation in a market that suffers from cut-rate pricing and a blurring of distribution lines, say Meyer executives.